Coil handling apparatus



Oct. 3, 1967 J. u. SHEARN 3,345,014

COIL HANDLING APPARATUS Filed April 4, 1966 3 Sheets-Sheet l lNveNToRJOHN U. SHEARN I H15 ATTORNEY Oct. 3, 1967 J. u. SHEARN con HANDLINGAPPARATUS 3 Sheets$heet 2 Filed. April 4, 1966 INVEN'TOR JOHN U. '$HEARNBY 7% j G will ZY-HS ATTRNEY Get. 3, 1967 J. u SHEARN 3,345,014

COIL HANDLING APPARATUS Filed April 4, 1966 I 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 lmvam-roeJOHN U. .SHEARN HIS ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,345,014 COILHANDLING APPARATUS John Underwood Shearn, Shefiield, England, assignorto Davy and United Engineering Company Limited, Sheffield, Yorkshire,England Filed Apr. 4, 1966, Ser. No. 549,740 Claims priority,application Great Britain, Apr. 6, 1965, 14,576/65 2 Claims. (Cl.242-79) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The invention relates to acoil carfor conveying coils either to an uncoiler or from a coiler whichconventionally is provided with a mandrel for a coil. The car is mountedfor movement in the direction of the uncoiler/coiler mandrel axisbetween positions for transfer of a coil and a coil spool between thecar and the mandrel, and for loading/unloading. The car has a carriagewith a first surface for supporting a coil-spool, a. second surface forsupporting a spool/coil, the surfaces being at dilferent levels, andmeans for moving the carriage upwardly or downwardly on the car to bringeither a coil/ spool on the first surface into axial alignment with themandrel for transfer therefrom or the second surface into a position forhorizontal transfer of a spool/coil thereto.

This invention relates to conveyors and is particularly concerned with acoil car for conveying coils to an uncoiler or from a coiler, associatedwith a rolling mill. In the rolling of aluminium, in particular, it isthe practice to carry each coil on a spool and an object of the'invention is to provide a coil car capable of handling both a spooledcoil and an empty spool.

In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a coil car forconveying coils to an uncoiler or from a coiler is mounted for movementin the direction of the uncoiler/coiler mandrel axis between positionsfor transfer of a coil and a coil spool between the car and the mandrel,and for loading/unloading, and has a carriage with a first surface forreceiving a coil, a second surface for receiving a coil spool, and meansfor moving the carriage on the car to bring either a coil on the firstsurface or a spool on the second surface into axial alignment with themandrel.

Preferably, the carriage has two platforms located at different levelsand adapted to support simultaneously the coil and the spool, and themoving means are arranged to move the carriage vertically to bringeither of the platforms adjacent the mandrel end.

The invention will be more readily understood by way of example from thefollowing description of a coil car for an aluminium mill, referencebeing made to the diagrammatic drawings, accompanying the provisionalspecification, in which:

FIGURES l and 2 are respectively a plan view and a side view of the milland the uncoiler,

FIGURE 3 is a side view on larger scale of the coil car, and

FIGURE 4 is a section on the line IV1V of FIG- URE 3.

Although the drawings illustrate the coil car associated with theuncoiler of the mill, it will be appreciated that an exactly similarcoil car may be, and preferably is, also associated with the coiler.

In FIGURES l and 2, the mill is shown at 12 as having a pair of workrolls 13 and back-up rolls 14. At the ingoing side of the mill 12 thereis an uncoiler 15 .(not shown in FIGURE 2) having an expandable mandrel16 and a spool stripper plate 17 surrounding the mandrel 16 3,345,014Patented Oct. 3, 1967 and driven axially of the mandrel by a hydraulicram 18. At the outgoing side of the mill there is a similar coilerindicated generally at 20 and having an expandable mandrel 21 (which isthe only part of the coiler 15 shown in FIGURE 2). w

Extending parallel to, and at either side of the mandrel 16 of theuncoiler 15 are a pair of rails 22 which, as shown in FIGURE 4 guide acoil car 23. This coil car has a pair of parallel plates 24 which arebraced together and each of which carries a pair of wheels 25 running inthe rails 22. The car 23 includes a carriage which is arranged to movevertically relative to the plates 24. The carriage I to receive a coil35 arranged on a spool 36. On the lower part of the brackets 32, thereis a similar saddle element 37 bridging the two brackets 32 and adaptedto receive and support an empty spool, shown in chain line at 38.

By virtue of the rails 22 the carriage 23 is movable between a positionadjacent the free end of the mandrel 16, where the platforms formed bythe saddles 34, 37 are aligned in the same vertical plane as the axis ofthe mandrel 16, and a loading position, as shown in FIG- URE 1, alignedwith a walking beam bed 40 for supplying coils to the car, and aninclined spool ramp 41 which extends on one side of the mill 12 andwhich conveys empty spools from the uncoiler for use at the coiler 20.The walking beam bed 40 is of known form and consists of a pair ofparallel fixed beams 42, 43 to which are secured at intervals pairs ofsaddles 44. Between fixed beams 42, 43 there is a moving beam 45supported on rollers 46. Each of the rollers 46 is carried on atriangular mounting 47 which at its lower extremity is pivoted to a beam48 and which at its upper left hand corner, as viewed in FIGURE 2, ispivoted to a fixed point. Beam 48 can be moved lengthwise by a ram 50,while the beam 45 can similarly be moved lengthwise by a further ram(not shown). The beam 45 carries saddles, similar to those shown at 44and spaced at the same intervals. The walking beam bed operates in knownmanner, i.e. to move a coil one position along the fixed beams 42, 43,the beam 48 is moved to the right, causing beam 45 to rise and lift thecoil from the saddles 44. When so elevated the beam 45 is moved fromleft to right as viewed in FIGURE 2 through a distance equal to thespacing of the saddles 44, and the beam 48 is then retracted to lowerthe coil on to the next pair of the saddles 44.

The sequence of operation for removing a spent spool from the mandrel 16and thereafter placing a new coil on the mandrel is as follows:

The car 23, having a new coil on the upper saddle 34, is moved on therails 22 up to the mandrel 16. The ram 28 is operated to elevate thecarriage, so that the saddle 37 is aligned with the mandrel 16. Themandrel is collapsed and the stripper plate 17 operated to remove theempty spool from the mandrel on to the saddle 37. The cylinder 28 is nowoperated to lower the carriage and to bring the axis of the new coil 35into alignment with mandrel 16, whereupon car 23 is traversed along therails 22 to place the coil on the supporting mandrel. The mandrel isthen expanded and the carriage is lowered a few inches by operation ofthe cylinder 28, leaving the coil supported on the mandrel, and the caris withdrawn to the loading position shown in FIGURE 2.

In order to load a new coil into the car, the carriage, with the spool38 still carried on saddle 37 is lowered a few inches. During thislowering operation, the protruding end of the spool 38 still carried onsaddle 37 engages a stop, (not shown), which flips the spool of thesaddle 37 onto the ramp 41, which guides the spool to a receivinglocation 51 for use on the coiler 20'. When the upper saddle 34 has beenlowered to the same level as the saddles 44, the walking beam bed isoperated as previously described to transfer the coil on the leadingpair of saddles 44 to the saddle 34. Finally, the cylinder 28 isoperated to raise the carriage until the saddle 37 is at the properheight to receive a spool from the mandrel 16, and the car is movedtransversely to the position adjacent the mandrel 16 ready for the nextchangeover.

Although not illustrated, motor driven rollers may be provided on, or inplace of, the saddle 34 to support the coil and to rotate the coil aboutits axis when so supported.

When a similar car is provided for coiler 20, the sequence of operationis generally similar to that previously described, but the order ismodified in that a coil is transferred from mandrel 21 to the car and anempty spool is then transferred from the car to the mandrel.

As will be appreciated the use of the carriage 23 facilitates and moreimportantly expedites the location of a new coil on the mandrel 16 onthe exhaustion of the previous coil.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, I haveexplained the principle and operation of my invention and haveillustrated and described what I consider to represent the bestembodiment thereof. However, I desire to have it understood that withinthe scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practicedotherwise than as specifically illustrated and described.

What is claimed is:

1. A coil car for conveying coils to an uncoiler or from a coiler havinga mandrel for a coil wherein the car is mounted for movement in thedirection of the uncoiler/coiler mandrel axis between positions fortransfer of a coil and a coil spool between the car and the mandrel, andfor load/unloading, and the car has a carriage with a first surface forsupporting a coil/ spool respectively, a second surface for supporting aspool/coil respectively, the surfaces being at different levels, andmeans for moving the carriage upwardly or downwardly on the car to bringeither a coil/ spool on the first surface into axial alignment with themandrel for transfer therefrom or the second surface into a position forhorizontal transfer of a spool/coil thereto.

2. A coil car according to claim 1 wherein the car has sides formed by apair of vertical plates and the carriage comprises a horizontal plate, apair of coil and spool support brackets to provide the said first andsecond surfaces which brackets are supported by the horizontal plate,and vertical legs extending from the underside of the horizontal platewhich are movable between, and guided by, the vertical plates as thecarriage is moved upwardly or downwardly, the means for moving thecarriage comprising a ram operatively connected to the underside of thehorizontal plate and supported by the vertical plates.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,527,667 10/1950 Wood 242-792,734,405 2/1956 Cozzo 24279 X FRANK J. COHEN, Primary Examiner.

STANLEY N. GILREATH, Examiner.

N. L. MINTZ, Assistant Examiner.

1. A COIL CAR FOR CONVEYING COILS TO AN UNCOILER OR FROM A COILER HAVINGA MANDREL FOR A COIL WHEREIN THE CAR IS MOUNTED FOR MOVEMENT IN THEDIRECTION OF THE UNCOILER/COILER MANDREL AXIS BETWEEN POSITIONS FORTRANSFER OF A COIL AND A COIL SPOOL BETWEEN THE CAR AND THE MANDREL, ANDFOR LOAD/UNLOADING, AND THE CAR HAS A CARRIAGE WITH A FIRST SURFACE FORSUPPORTING A COIL/SPOOL RESPECTIVELY, A SECOND SURFACE FOR SUPPORTING ASPOOL/COIL RESPECTIVELY, THE SURFACES BEING AT DIFFERENT LEVELS, ANDMEANS FOR MOVING THE CARRIAGE UPWARDLY OR DOWNWARDLY ON THE CAR TO BRINGEITHER A COIL/SPOOL ON THE FIRST SURFACE INTO AXIAL ALIGNMENT WITH THEMANDREL FOR TRANSFER THEREFROM OR THE SECOND SURFACE INTO A POSITION FORHORIZONTAL TRANSFER OF A SPOOL/COIL THERETO.